Count On Me
by CaptainTwigs
Summary: A terrible murder leaves a child lost and alone. She clings to Rossi for help, but there's nothing that he can do other than assure her that he will fix this. After a few days of sitting in the station, the case is solved and the child is taken away. The team finally heads home, but there's still something missing. Maybe Dave made the wrong decision.
1. Chapter 1

**(Hey y'all! If y'all have read something of mine before, then welcome back! If not, I hope y'all enjoy! Maybe check out my Sick Days series if you're interested! I've been thinking about doing a fic focused on Rossi for awhile and the time has finally come! Story's set after the fifth season. Hope y'all enjoy! As always, Love y'all!)**

Everyone inside the house was asleep. The parents, Abraham and Kara Wilson were asleep in their bed across the house. Their daughter, Taylor Wilson, was asleep in her bed in her own little room.

Her room was decorated with light grey walls, not much of a pretty color to a seven year old, but she loved it. They were decorated with stickers of soccer balls and goals. Pictures of her and her teammates were hung on the wall, as well as a couple of her with her parents after some bigs games. She had medals too, hung from the top of her bookshelf. Everything was perfect.

* * *

There had been a couple of home invasions and homicides in the Springfield area. There wasn't much information out to the public. Just a warning to stay alert and to lock all your doors and windows.

Whispers we're going around, saying that the FBI was involved. Maybe a serial killer? Nobody had really spoken about it. There was just a known silence that passed through the city. People were afraid to speak of it, thinking the worst.

The shattering of a window was heard by no ears as a man slipped through the empty frame. His heavy feet crushed the shards even more as he walked across the tile floor of an unoccupied bathroom. He glanced at his watch.

 _"2:07"_

He nodded to himself and stepped out of the glass heap. He wiped off his shoes and opened the door. He snuck down the hall with expertise. First was to find the girl's room. It didn't take much time. The house was tiny, only a one story with a couple of rooms. The parent's room, bathroom, her room, and what looked like a home office. They didn't have much money by the looks of it.

He had seen this family at the grocery store earlier today. The child had been a little clumsy and dropped the jar of pickles that she had grabbed to put in the cart. It slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor. Glass had gotten everywhere, not to mention pickles.

The mom was the first to turn around. She gasped at the sight, grabbing onto her extended belly. By the looks of it, she had to be at least six months pregnant.

Her husband turned around next. He had already looked upset, but there wasn't a reason why. As soon as he saw the broken jar, he sighed and pulled the cart back. "God dammit Taylor." He cursed loudly.

People turned around from their tasks once they heard the glass break. Many of them shrugged and kept on their way. There wasn't much that they could do. It also wasn't their problem.

He saw though. He watched as the father chewed out the little girl, who had been dressed in a dirty white soccer uniform.

Meanwhile the child was crying, knowing that she had upset her parents. More her dad than her mom, obviously. Her mother was more worried about the broken glass and if Taylor had gotten any injuries from it. She was okay though, just a little spooked.

Her dad sighed heavily and snatched a jar of pickles from the shelf and tossed it into the cart while muttering things under his breath.

His wife turned around and lightly smacked his shoulder. "Abe, it was an accident, calm down." She tried quietly, knowing that he had quite the temper.

Her husband, Abe was it? Abe shook his head. "Kara, she does this all the time. If it's not the pickle jar, it's the vase or the lamp."

"Exactly." The wife, Kara, responded. "You should be used to it by now. And she's seven Abe, shit happens. She literally plays soccer. Usually when she's kicking the ball around the house is because you said you were "too busy" to play with her." She rolled her eyes.

"I am busy!"

"Trying to become a rock star and making music with your brother, isn't busy enough that you can't kick the ball around with your daughter for thirty minutes."

By now a couple of workers had gotten wind of the accident. One showed up with a mop, while a manager followed suit. They didn't demand any money from the family, but Kara had decided to pay anyway. Then they were on their way.

He didn't exactly follow them around the store, no he knew better than that. Instead he headed back to his car, watching the entrance carefully, waiting to see when they stepped out and headed to their cars.

That was how he ended up here, at the Wilson house. He had scanned the outside and walked the perimeter for about twenty minutes trying to find his point of access. He was always fond of the bathroom window entrances. It was the least likely place one of the three household members would be. Chances were always in his favor.

Now he was inside. He had found the girls room. Taylor's room. He would save her from this hell, after all that was his job. Ever since he saw the so called family this morning, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about this.

He carefully turned the knob and pushed open the door. The walls weren't as flashy as the others. Usually seven year olds have pink, or blue walls with fairy or princess stickers everywhere. This was different. Did her parents not let her indulge in the lifestyle of a child? With this house and everything her parents did, they probably couldn't afford it and stuck her with the original paint. The base coat.

In his eyes, she was worth more than just the base coat of paint.

She was asleep in her bed, not having moved since he came in. As he approached her, she stirred a little.

He stood above her, casting a shadow from the moonlight. Her eyes slowly opened. Sleepily, she stared up at him, wide eyed and confused. She hadn't moved.

"Shhh." He breathed as he crouched down. "I need you to be absolutely quiet okay? Can you do that for me?" He spoke softly, afraid that if his voice was too loud he would scare her.

Slowly, she nodded. She didn't speak as he held out his hand for her. She didn't move, frozen in her bed with fear.

He sighed. "Okay. If you're going to be like that." He shook his head and grabbed the nearest chair. It was a small chair at a small desk that had been scattered with doodles of soccer balls and stick figures, a couple animals here and there. He pulled he rope from his pocket. "Okay kid, I'm going to need you to sit here." He said as he lightly tapped the chair.

Again, she didn't move.

"Please?" He added. "I'm only trying to help."

Slowly she slid from her bed. She had no idea what would even happen. She just knew that something bad would happen either way. She swallowed and sat on the chair. She wiped the tears from her eyes, her mom's voice playing in her head, telling her to be strong and to push through. She closed her eyes and obeyed.

"Good, now hold still." He said as he began to tie her to the chair. He tied her hands to the tiny arm rests, attaching her legs to the legs of the chair as well.

"Now I'm going to need you to promise that you'll be absolutely silent okay?"

She nodded, tears sparkling on her face.

He crouched down and wiped them away with his thumb just as fresh ones fell. "Hey, it's okay. I promise I'm only here to help." He picked up the chair, and held it perfectly so she was upright the entire time.

He found the parents room without a hitch. He set down the chair, only so he could open the door. Again he crept in, bringing her with.

He set the chair at the foot of the bed, right in the middle so that she could see her sleeping parents. He kneeled in front of her and again wiped away her tears. "Don't worry." He whispered. "You're safe now." He brushed her hair behind her ears and stood up.

First to go was always the husband, but of course it was easier if they both died at the same time. He pulled his two weapons from his belt, his knife was commonly used on this husband. His gun was saved for the wife.

He stepped up to the husband's side of the bed. He raised his knife, a devilish grin on his face as he brought it down, straight through his chest.

The child screamed bloody murder, tears spilling from her eyes as she struggled against her bonds.

The father woke up, a pain stricken look on his face as he coughed, wincing as the knife was driven deeper into his chest. Wouldn't be long now.

The wife had woken up to. Once she saw the knife in her husbands chest, and the dark figure, she tried to scramble out of the bed, only to end up falling to the floor and pleading for her life.

He sighed and walked around the bed. He lifted his gun. When she asked why he was doing this, all he said was, "you don't deserve another." And pulled the trigger. She was gone instantly.

The father had passed too, the knife still protruding from his chest.

He walked around the bed and pulled his knife from the victim, cleaning it off on the stained sheets. He looked at the little girl, still stuck to the chair. She was wailing, crying out for her parents, crying even harder when she didn't hear a response.

"Everything will get better, I promise." He kneeled beside her and kissed her forehead. He pushed her hair from her face and wiped away her tears. "You're welcome Taylor. I know you'll be happier now. It always gets better."

And with that, he was gone. He left the house the way he had come in. The snow underfoot slowed down his escape, but it wasn't like anybody was awake at three in the morning anyway.

He walked about a block in the freezing weather before pulling his phone from his pocket. He dialed the familiar number of the FBI tip line.

An agent answered on the other line, asking for his name and information. He didn't bother and instead went right down to business. They would know it was him, he was almost certain.

"Two more are dead. The girls fine." He said as he started saying the address. As soon as he was finished, he hung up and dropped he phone into the thick snow. Sure it was a burn phone, but it was better to cover up his tracks every so often if he wanted to continue on. After all this was his job. He needed to rid the world of the bad parents. It was his only way to contribute to society and the future. If he didn't, who would? Nobody.

When police and agents arrived at the scene, their hearts were shattered yet again as they found the same scene as the first two. A young daughter, not even ten, crying for her parents, chocking on her own words as she begged and pleaded them to answer her, but no response ever came, and none ever would again.


	2. Chapter 2

**(It was brought to my attention, from a nasty review might I add, that there were some mistakes in this chapter. I'm sorry if there was any confusion y'all! Everything should be sorted out now! Thanks for letting me know! Sometimes when I type these up on my phone autocorrect isn't always the kindest, but what are you gonna do *shrug* lol, sorry y'all. Probably should've looked back through before posting, but I was just super excited to get this out to you! Thanks for understanding!)**

The agents of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit sat at their desks like any other Tuesday. Aaron Hotchner was busy in his office, dealing with paperwork left over from their last case of an unsub who was slaughtering people and hanging their ears around the town. It was quite the read.

David Rossi sat in his own office as well, scrolling through a couple of files. Ever since Haley had passed, he offered to take some of the work off Hotch's back since now he had full custody of his child. He had wanted to help his friend in any way possible and taking away some of his work load, seemed like the best idea.

Derek Morgan stood at the small kitchenette next to Penelope Garcia, the pair sharing a quiet joke as he poured fresh coffee in both of their mugs.

Spencer Reid sat at his desk, flipping through a book as he read, his finger following down the page as well. His mouth formed every word slightly. Again he flipped the page.

Emily Prentiss was on her way to JJ's office when her blonde friend stepped out, hustling up to Hotch's office. "Woah, woah. What's wrong?"

JJ turned around and continued walking backwards. She held up the file. "We've got a case. Can you gather everyone?"

Prentiss nodded and headed to the bullpen to grab the team. "Hey, we've got a case, let's go!" She grabbed her coffee and headed up to Rossi's office, leaving the other three to scramble for their drinks as well before stepping into the Conference room.

She knocked on Rossi's open door before sticking her head in. She didn't need to say anything for Rossi to know what was going on.

He put his pen down and stood up. "You know what it's about?"

She shook her head. "No clue, but JJ looked upset."

The first thing that went through his mind was children. There was a good possibility that this case could be dealing with kids, alive or dead it still messed with the two parents more than anyone else on the team.

JJ knocked on Hotch's door and stepped inside. She held up the file. "We've got one."

Hotch finished what he was signing before looking up. "What do we got?" He asked as he stood up, ready to be briefed.

"Unsub kills the parents and leaves the child behind. Forces her to watch as he kills them. So far he hasn't physically harmed the children."

Hotch's face hardened. He drew a breath and nodded.

Once everybody was settled down in the Conference room, JJ grabbed the remote and began her short brief.

"Springfield Illinois." She clicked, pictures of two happy families appeared on screen. "There have been two home invasions, as well as homicides in the area. Both families had one child, a daughter. She was forced to watch as the unsub killed both her parents. He never harmed them, but mentally they're traumatized." She sighed and shook her head, the image of her own son flashed in her mind. She figured that Hotch must have been thinking the same, her look mirrored on his face.

"The first victims were your everyday couple. The husband, Richard Greys, worked from home for the local phone service. His wife, Amanda Greys was a dentist. They left behind their daughter Juliana, age five. She is now with her grandparents." She took a breath, tapping the file. "The second victims, again, were an average couple. Nothing out of the ordinary." She clicked again, the second family appearing on screen.

"Ethan Harris and Julia Harris. Ethan was a banker. Julia was an artist. She had a studio downtown. They left behind their daughter, Alexis. She's seven, currently residing with her aunt and uncle."

"Both of their guardians agreed to questions if we needed to talk to the children."

Hotch tapped his pen against his files, the pictures scattered in front of him. Jack continued to flash in his mind.

"He's only going after families with daughters, and young daughters at that, there's a possibility that he had a daughter of his own at this age, but most likely something happened to her." Reid started to rattle off details as he continued to turn over what they had in the file.

Rossi nodded. "The fact that he isn't hurting the child is significant. He could see this child as his own maybe. It's possible he's suffering from delusions."

"These murders were only three days apart?" Morgan commented, looking up at JJ.

She nodded. "If we're on the clock there's a chance he could kill again tomorrow."

Hotch nodded. That was enough for him. "Alright, wheels up in thirty." He stood up and the team dispersed, grabbing their go bags, and getting ready to meet on the plane.

Everybody met back together on the plane. Once they were up in the air, Garcia's bright face flickered to life on the computer screen. The team started to go over the possible profile.

"I agree with Rossi." Prentiss nodded. "I think this unsub could see the children as his own. It says here that both of the children were treated the same way. He never yelled at them, never threatened them. He spoke quietly and politely the whole time, almost like a father would to their own child."

Hotch quietly agreed. "Garcia can you run a check on parents in the area, possibly single dads who have had a recent loss."

"Sir-"

"I know it's going to be a long list, but it's the only place we can start right now."

She nodded. "You got it."

The rest of the flight, they put their heads together, figuring out what their plan of action would be. They might've had to stop Reid a couple times, the young agent loved his facts.

Finally the plane landed and the team was able to step off. They grabbed their bags and stepped outside to the SUV's that awaited them.

About six inches of fresh, hard snow covered the ground. Rossi shivered as he stepped into the SUV, sitting behind the wheel.

They piled into their two SUV's, Rossi driving the first, Morgan in the second. It wasn't a long drive before they reached the station.

Officer Devon Kohl met them at the door. He was a lanky man with short, dark red hair. He held out his hand, and introduced himself.

Hotch shook it and introduced the team as well. "Aaron Hotchner, this is my team, Agents Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, Jareau, and Doctor Reid."

Kohl nodded. "Glad to meet all of you. I've already got the conference room set up with what you asked. We also printed out everything your analyst sent over."

Hotch quietly thanked him and stepped into the conference room.

The table had several stacks of papers clipped together, most likely the backgrounds that he had asked Garcia to find. There was a board in the corner, blank and ready to be covered.

"Thank you, Officer." Rossi offered, since Hotch had already made himself up, thumbing through a few of the papers

The officer nodded. "I'll leave you to get settled." And took his leave.

They settled down at the table. Reid began his usual task of setting up the board as everyone began to look through a couple families.

JJ had already called the families of the girls, asking if it would be possible to talk to them as soon as possible.

"Juliana's grandmother lives in Missouri, so they won't be able to make it here until tomorrow afternoon. I haven't heard back from Alexis' aunt yet, but I'm continuing to call."

"Okay." Rossi sighed. He tapped his thumb against his mug that had already been refilled a couple times. They were nearing the end of the night and they had nothing. The only two witnesses were two little girls who had just lost their parents.

The team sat there for a couple hours, building up as much of a profile as they could. They didn't have much time before he killed again.

Around three in the morning, the tip line had gotten a call, which wasn't unusual. After every kill he had called the officials. The first two times it had been the police, but now that the FBI had jurisdiction, he chose the them.

The operator answered. Calls this late were either people trying to pull a sick prank, or they were real. Before he even said anything, she asked for his information, his name, address, everything in case they needed to get a hold of him again.

His response sent chills down her spine. Immediately she sent the address to the officers and agents in charge.

Kohl burst in. "There's been another one." He said quickly, his words rushing together as he ran out.

Hotch checked his phone, the address now coming through to him as well. "Suit up, let's go."

Everyone jumped into their same vans. The lights were on as they sped down the road. This one wasn't far from the station, maybe ten minutes tops.

Rossi was the first out of his SUV. He drew his gun, waiting for Hotch's cue. He took a step closer to the house. He could've sworn that he could hear the child's cries from outside. The mournful wailing as she continued to plead for them to wake up.

He bit his lip and drew in a sharp breath.

"Let's go." Hotch pulled his gun from his waist, appearing behind Rossi. "Prentiss and JJ, check the house, Morgan and Reid take the back entrance." They agreed and pulled their guns, heading to their spots.

Rossi nodded and stepped up to the house. Once everyone was in position, he kicked down the door.

The child's screams were even louder now.

The pair froze for a second, the BAU not having rescued one of these children before. The scared cries had never hit their ears before.

Rossi was the first to regain his composure. He followed the sound. He stopped outside of the parents room, the door was cracked slightly. He took a quick peek in, the smell of blood smacking him like a wave. He saw the child struggling against the chair, as well as the mangled father in the bed. "I've got her, focus on clearing the room."

Hotch nodded, backing up his friend as Rossi pushed open the door.

The small girl looked at them, her face glowed with her tears. "Okay sweetie, okay." Rossi cooed quietly as he slowly stepped towards her. His biggest fear was scaring her more.

She seemed to calm down when she saw the three letters on his vest. She stopped struggling by the time Dave reached her.

"Okay kiddo. Okay." He whispered. He pulled out a pocket knife and easily sliced through the rope.

As soon as they fell to the floor, she wrapped her entire body around him. Her arms held onto his neck tight. She did her best to wrap her legs around his torso as well, but that didn't work as well.

She snuggled, burying her face into his shoulder as he carried her out. "It's okay. It's okay." He continued to voice quietly, soothing her as he did. He stepped out of the house, the many police lights causing her to bury her face more.

He bit his lip at the sight. His heart ached for the little girl he held in his arms. "We'll find him kiddo, don't worry."


	3. Chapter 3

Rossi had taken the kid outside, leaving the rest of the team inside to check out the crime scene. A few officers had gone in as well. The house was clear. The unsub was long gone by now.

Rossi kneeled down and slowly pulled his arms off of her, but she didn't move. She put her feet on the ground to support herself, but she was still holding onto him for dear life.

He knew that the better idea would be to stay here with her than to head back inside, plus with all of the officers he saw head in, the house would be overflowing with people. So he picked her up again and took a seat on the driveway, his back to the garage.

He adjusted her so that instead of her face in his neck, she was curled up against him, her head on his chest. She was cradled against him. He held her closer to him, listening to the chatter of the officers as they continued to pass them, heading back and forth from the cars to the house.

Nobody disturbed them. The broken daughter laid against him. Slowly he traced his hand against her back. He couldn't even imagine going through what she had just witnessed. His heart ached for her.

Every so often she would sniffle and rub at her face, but after about thirty minutes, her breathing had slowed and she became slightly heavier against his chest. He continued his slow motions even after she fell asleep, afraid that she might wake up in a panic, the scene playing over in her head.

Hotch watched Rossi go with her before turning back to the scene. He bit his lip, frowning. Another child was left without parents and they still had no leads.

He turned to Officer Kohl. "Grab your men and look for fingerprints, possible DNA, anything." Kohl nodded and left, heading out of the room.

Hotch called Garcia who had been sent the address once the team was on their way. "Anything?" He put the phone on speaker, allowing everybody in the room to hear.

"Yes sir! Their names are Abraham, twenty-nine, and Kara, twenty-eight, Wilson. Their daughter is Taylor Wilson, she's only seven."

Hotch looked at his feet, his own son flashing through his mind once again. He nodded as she continued.

"He was a striving musician, and she was a teacher at the local middle school."

"Just your everyday, average couple." Morgan sighed as he stepped around the bed, his eyes falling on the mangled body of the wife. His breath caught in his throat. "Guys..."

Everybody looked up. Prentiss had made her way around as well. Now she stood beside Morgan, her heart dropping in her chest.

"She was pregnant." He finished, shaking his head.

Soon the cops came in, filling the room with their own personnel. Hotch stepped out, asking JJ to come with him and scope out the rest of the house. "What'd you find?"

"Bathroom window was broken from the outside, but other than that, there wasn't anything. That's how he got in and out."

He nodded and walked down the hall, stopping outside the girls room. He pushed open the door, the scene in front of him familIar to those before. There wasn't a sign of a struggle. The only thing missing was the chair that Taylor had been tied to. "She went willingly."

"Well so far all of the children say he sounded kind and he never hurt them. He didn't want to harm them in the first place."

Hotch looked over everything again. Nothing looked out of place. The walls were covered with pictures of Taylor with friends and family, most of which were taken in a soccer uniform.

He looked to JJ, who sighed quietly. "I know." She voiced quietly, reading his mind. Henry was always on her mind, even more so when they dealt with cases like these. "We just need to find the bastard."

"Agreed."

Morgan knocked on the door, bringing the two out of their thoughts. "Found a partial on the chair, but it's going to be almost impossible to find him from it. If he's even in the system." He added with a shrug.

"Get it to Garcia, see if there's any chance she can use it. Any DNA?" Hotch crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

Morgan shook his head. "Not yet, still looking." He turned on his heels and headed to the bathroom that the unsub had first arrived in. Reid waited for him, looking around for anything. The young agent looked up at him.

"Did Garcia track the call?"

Morgan nodded. "Call was too short for anything useful. Gave us about a fifteen mile radius, but he was on the move when he made it so she isn't sure."

Reid nodded and focused back on the glass on the floor before he started explaining what he believed had happened only a couple hours before.

The team finished up, leaving the cops inside to take care of the rest. Hotch was the first out of the house. He figured that Rossi would hitch a ride with Kohl to take Taylor back to the station, but instead what he saw warmed his heart.

Dave sat on the concrete with his back against the garage door. Taylor was curled on his chest, looking smaller than she actually was. He rubbed tiny circles into her back as she slept.

The rising sun cast a small shadow of Hotch onto Rossi's knee, causing the older man to look up. He offered his friend a small, sad smile before he looked back down at the child in his hands.

Hotch crouched beside him, brushing the child's brunette hair behind her ear. He sighed. "Her names Taylor." He whispered to his friend. "Taylor Wilson. She's only seven years old." He shook his head, looking down at the small child.

He pat Rossi on the shoulder. "We're getting ready to head back."

Rossi nodded. Carefully he stood up, pulling Taylor closer to him.

"Dave, you can let an officer take care of her."

Rossi shook his head. "I don't know Hotch. When I tried to set her down earlier," he trailed off as his mind flashed back to earlier. "She wouldn't let go. I think it's best if she stays with me right now."

Hotch pursed his lips, but nodded. "Alright."

Carefully Dave shifted her in his arms and pulled the keys from his pocket. He handed them to Hotch as the rest of the team filed out of the house.

As everyone caught sight of Rossi and the girl, they smiled a little. It was just a heartwarming sight that after all this she was still able to feel safe in somebody's arms.

Hotch and Prentiss sat in the front, leaving Rossi the backseat. He didn't bother with his seatbelt, too afraid that he would wake Taylor up.

As the drive began, she started to stir until her dark eyes blinked open. She looked around for a second, confused at where she was until she saw Rossi again. "Shhh, hey kiddo." He breathed, brushing his thumb against her cheek. "Go back to sleep Taylor, I've got you. It's okay."

She blinked sleepily and nodded her head and relaxing back into him.

Hotch glanced into the rearview, listening and watching Dave in the back. He exchanged a smile with Prentiss and a look.

He was used to seeing Dave interact with Jack, but this was different. He wasn't sure why or what exactly, it was just different. A good different though.

They made it back to the station. Rossi slid from his seat. Taylor had fallen asleep on the car ride. He stepped into the building, asking the nearest officer if there was a place he could set her.

"Yeah, uh, there's a bed set up in Interrogation."

He nodded. He didn't like the idea of leaving her on the opposite side of the station, but right now she needed a place to sleep. He passed Hotch on his way, promising that it would only take a second. His friend gladly told him to take his time and meet them when he was ready.

Rossi opened the door to the tiny interrogation room. A small futon was set up in the corner. Slowly he lowered her, setting her comfortably on the mat. He grabbed the blankets and tucked her in.

She stirred and he froze. She didn't wake up. Instead she turned onto her back.

He finished up what he was doing. He brushed her hair from her face. "Sleep well, kiddo."

Rossi rejoined his team in the Conference room.

"She okay?" Hotch asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

Dave nodded. "She's sleeping right now. What'd you guys find in the house?"

"It was just like the other crime scenes. Bathroom window was broken from the outside, which is how he got in and out. Taylor's room wasn't trashed, no signs of a struggle." Hotch shook his head. "Garcia's looking now for extended family who can come and pick Taylor up and be here when we question her."

As if on cue, Morgan's phone started ringing. He answered and put it on speaker, placing the phone on the table. "Talk to me mama."

"Well baby, you aren't going to like this. We've got a problem."

"What's that Garcia?" Rossi spoke up now, sitting on the edge of the table.

"Taylor has no family. Like zero, zilch. She has nobody."


	4. Chapter 4

It was now seven in the morning. The information of Taylor having no family came as a shock to them. When those words left Garcia's mouth nobody knew what to do for a second. All they could think about was the seven year old girl in the other room who had just lost the last of her family.

They shared a moment of silence before Hotch broke it, focusing everybody back in. "We'll have to call social services, but first we need to question her."

Rossi wasn't too fond of calling in social services to take her away just yet, but he knew it was protocol. He shuffled his feet and nodded. "She's asleep right now." He commented quietly.

Hotch nodded. "When she wakes up, JJ, you'll come with me and we'll ask her the questions we prepared for the girls. Rossi, I want you and Prentiss to talk to Juliana and her grandmother. Reid and Morgan, you'll take Alexis and her aunt. Now I have no idea when any of them will arrive so in about an hour, whoever is still around will deliver the profile."

Everybody nodded, agreeing with their assigned roles.

"Alright, grab something quick to eat and then we'll get to work."

Everybody went their separate ways at first, but Rossi and Hotch ended up meeting at the coffee bar on accident. They both poured themselves a fresh cup before heading back to the conference room.

They settled down across from each other. Neither of them bothered grabbing food. On cases, especially ones like these, it was hard to rest knowing that people were at risk while they were sitting and doing nothing. Sure every so often they got onto each other about it, but today they decided to leave it alone.

They sat in silence, enjoying their coffee and glancing at the board every so often, trying to see what connected the families.

"You were really good with Taylor this morning." Hotch said quietly, breaking the silence as he sipped his drink.

Rossi chuckled quietly. "I've learned from some of the best parents I know." He returned, sending a smile in Aaron's general direction.

Hotch laughed quietly and returned the smile. He rolled his eyes at the cheesy comment. "I'm being serious, Dave! You'd make such a great dad."

Rossi rolled his eyes, smiling like a child. "After three failed marriages, I'm not sure thats in the equation anymore."

They were both giggling like school girls by the time everyone came back into the conference room around eight o'clock.

"What is going on in here?" Morgan's hands were on his hips as he looked down at the pair. They both shook their heads.

"It's nothing." Hotch cracked another small smile at Rossi and stood up, focusing back in onto the topic at hand. "It's time to deliver the profile."

None of the children had arrived yet, except Taylor of course, but she wasn't awake either. This left the entire team to deliver the profile.

They gathered the officers in the bullpen. Hotch started everything off. "The man we're looking for is in his late twenties, early thirties. He had, or has a daughter between the ages five to seven."

"He's suffered from a tragedy recently, most likely centered around his daughter." Rossi continued.

"Somebody knows him." Morgan picked it up. "He's your everyday male, taking out your everyday couples. He blends in to the background. We're having a couple of the girls meet with a sketch artist today to see if we can get a face out there."

"There's a chance that he frequently arrives at work late, along with major paranoia in the office." JJ's eyes danced along the crowd. "Right now our analyst is cross referencing many of these possibilities and we plan on having a list out to everyone in a couple of hours."

An old lady walked into the station, a small blonde child attached at her hip. She quietly coaxed the child further.

The girl had her arms wrapped around the lady's waist as they walked together.

Officer Kohl caught sight of her first and headed in their general direction, glancing back at Hotch and mouthing "Juliana" before focusing his attention back on them.

Hotch nodded and looked at Rossi. He understood and nudged Prentiss before following Kohl into one of the back rooms.

Kohl left them alone in a small, unused office.

Rossi motioned towards the couch in the corner where the grandmother and her granddaughter would be comfortable. They took a seat, the grandmother focusing on him, but the little girl buried her face into her side instead.

He and Prentiss both pulled up a chair and sat across from them. Rossi held his hand out to the grandmother. "Agent Rossi, but please, call me Dave. This is Agent Prentiss."

Emily held out her hand. "Emily, please."

The grandmother nodded, "Lisa." She forced a small smile before looking down at the child holding onto her. "And this little nugget is Juliana." She lightly shook Juliana's shoulder.

Dave nodded. He looked to Juliana. It would never be an easy task, interviewing these traumatized kids, but it was important to figure out exactly what they saw. "Hi Juliana. Is it okay if we ask you a couple questions?" He asked softly.

Juliana peeked an eye out. She saw the agents in front of her and buried her face back into Lisa's side.

Lisa sighed. "Please sweetie, they just want to talk to you." She grabbed onto Juliana's arms and trying to peel them off of her. The child had no motivation to move. "I'm sorry." She shook her head, looking to the agents.

Rossi shook his head. "It's fine. We can wait until she's ready."

Meanwhile, Reid and Morgan were in Kohl's office with Alexis and her aunt.

The seven year old wasn't as attached to her guardian as Juliana, but she still wasn't talking much.

"Alexis," Morgan started, his voice quiet. "Is there anything you remember about that night?"

The girl bit her trembling lip and looked down at her shoes. She shoved her hands in her lap as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Um..." she started before shaking her head. "I remember a man. He wasn't scary at first."

Morgan nodded, the agents remaining quiet as she continued. Her aunt rubbed her back. At first she didn't agree to putting Alexis through this turmoil again.

"He never yelled at me, even when I didn't do what he wanted." She sniffled, leaning back into the couch. She rubbed her eyes. "I um...I got out of bed and let him tie me up. I was...I was scared." She breathed, shaking her head.

"Isn't this enough?" Her aunt butted in.

Reid held up his hand. "We aren't going to push her ma'am. We just need to know what happened that night."

* * *

Hotch wasn't getting anywhere with Taylor. She woke up about thirty minutes ago. An officer had grabbed her a meal, but she hadn't touched it either.

They sat in the interrogation room she had slept in. Hotch sat across from her. JJ had to leave to start the press conference. They needed to get their profile out as soon as possible.

He laced his fingers together and looked down at her. "Hi Taylor, my names Aaron." He spoke to her as if he were speaking to his own son. "I know that last night was something you don't want to remember, but if you can, I'm going to need you to answer some questions okay?"

She didn't meet his eyes. She looked down at her lap, playing with her fingers. Her parents had always described her as an outgoing girl, but now everything was flipped on its head.

Hotch sighed quietly, looking down at her with pity. He decided it best to wait on the first question for awhile. "Do you remember anything about the man?"

She blinked and only shrugged, the movement subtle.

"What about the last thing you did that day?"

She bit her lip as tears welled in her eyes as she remembered everything that happened back at the grocery store that day. How her dad reacted. The last true memory of her dad was him being upset at her for dropping a jar of pickles in the grocery store.

Hotch frowned. "I'm sorry Taylor, I am, but we need to know these things so we can catch the man who hurt your parents."

She sniffled and again became unresponsive. He tapped his fingers on the table, figuring that there was hopefully one person she would talk to.

He quietly stepped out, telling the nearest officer to keep on an eye on her while he grabbed Rossi.

He knocked on the door of the office and stepped in. He looked at the little girl on the couch. It didn't seem like they were getting much information either. Hopefully Reid and Morgan had better luck.

Rossi looked over his shoulder and quietly excused himself once he saw Hotch. He stood up and walked out of the office, meeting with his friend in the hallway. "What's up?"

"I'm not having any luck with Taylor. I don't think she's going to talk to anyone."

"But you think she's going to talk to me?" Rossi inferred, setting his hands on his hips.

"I think it's likely, yes. She trusts you, Dave."

He nodded, agreeing with his friend. "Where is she?"

"Interrogation."

Rossi stepped into Interrogation. He nodded to the officer who had tried to coax her to eat, but had no luck. "I've got it from here." The officer nodded and headed out the door.

Rossi's eyes swept the room. He shook his head and grabbed her meal and set it on the futon. He then took a seat in front of it, hoping that she would get the idea to sit next to him. He lightly tapped the futon, watching as she slid off her chair and sat in front of him.

Many people never realized how scary or intimidating it can be behind all of the lights in the interrogation room. For a child, that feeling multiplied.

When she was on the ground, her shoulders visibly relaxed. She took a deep breath and looked down at the food in front of her.

"Eat kiddo, it's all for you. I won't ask you anything until you're finished."

She bit her lip and slowly nodded. She picked at her food for about twenty minutes before she pushed it away. She looked up at him.

He nodded, assuming that she would tell him if she wasn't ready. "What's your name?" His plan was to start off easier. Have her open up a little and then there was a chance she would talk to him.

"Taylor Wilson." She replied quietly.

Rossi smiled to himself. "Hi Taylor, I'm Dave, it's nice to meet you." He held out his hand to her, but instead of a shake, he took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly, more as a sign of reassurance than formality.

"Nice to meet you too." She squeezed back before taking her hand away. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

"How old are you Taylor?"

"Seven."

"What do you do for fun?"

A small smile played at her lips. "I love soccer. And drawing. And...I like playing with dogs."

He chuckled quietly. "That's awesome kiddo." He offered her a small smile, again holding his hands out for her. She dropped her hands into his and looked up at him. "We need to talk about last night, okay?"

She looked away. He squeezed her hands. "I promise I'll be here the whole time, okay?"

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Can you remember anything about the man who came into your room?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Did he ever threaten you? Maybe yell at you if you didn't cooperate?"

She shook her head. "No." Her word coming out as a quiet squeak.

"What was the last thing you and your parents did yesterday?"

Her eyes started to water again. He squeezed her hands. "It's okay Taylor, it's okay, I'm here. What happened?"

She looked down at her lap, tears silently falling down her face. "We were at the grocery store...my dad was mad."

"Why?"

"I...I had a bad game. Then I broke a jar...in the store." More tears spilled from her eyes as her mind flashed back to last night as she watched this stranger take away both of her parents lives. She broke down, pulling her hands from Rossi's and instead wrapping them around herself.

As soon as she pulled away from Rossi, he scooted closer to her, his heart aching as he pulled the broke child into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck once again, her tears staining his shoulder. "Okay kiddo, okay." He soothed quietly, leaning back against the wall. "It's okay."

He sat with her for as long as she needed him. Before he knew it, Hotch was knocking on the door and saying that the rest of the team was heading to the hotel. They weren't going to catch a killer on no sleep.

Hotch looked down at his friend with the girl and nodded. He wasn't sure why, but Rossi just seemed to have the magic touch.

Rossi promised that he would be out in a minute. He looked down at Taylor, "Come on kiddo, you need to eat and then get some sleep."

She shifted and pulled herself away from him. "Will...will you be here tomorrow?"

He nodded and stood up once she did. "Of course kiddo." He lead her out of the room and into the bullpen where an officer waited with food for her. He quietly thanked them. "I'll see you tomorrow." He squeezed her hand before heading towards Hotch.

Before he was even at the front door, he felt two tiny arms wrap themselves around his waist. He smiled and turned around. He kneeled and pulled her into his arms. "Goodnight Taylor, I promise I'll be here in the morning."

She nodded and ran off to grab her meal.

He stood back up and matched his steps with Hotch as they headed out the door. Hotch didn't say anything. He just had a small smile on his face as he stepped into the SUV and drove them to the hotel.

They said their good nights and went their separate ways. It wasn't hard for Rossi to fall asleep, his mind and body exhausted from running on a couple hours of sleep for about two days.

He woke up around three in the morning to his cell phone. He sighed heavily and snatched it from his nightstand. "Agent Rossi." He answered, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Agent Rossi?" Officer Kohl was on the other line.

Panic and adrenaline mixed in his veins as he heard the familiar voice. "Yes? What happened?"

"Sir, it's Taylor. She had a nightmare. We've tried everything, but we can't get her to calm down."

He was already out of bed and getting dressed. Sure it was yesterday's clothes, but it was better than nothing. "I'll be right over." He promised. He called Hotch. He hated waking the team leader, but he needed the keys, plus there was a good chance that Aaron was already awake.

He answered immediately. "Dave?" He inquired quietly.

"I'm coming over to grab the keys. Taylor had a nightmare and she won't calm down. Kohl called me." He pulled on his shoes and headed out the door.

Hotch met him at the door. The team leader was still dressed in his suit. Rossi took the keys and shook his head. "Get some sleep, Aaron. Take your own advice."

* * *

Dave stepped into the station. At first everything was quiet, but as he approached the interrogation room he heard her quiet sniffling as everybody tried to help her. He stepped in and found Kohl. "I'll handle it, don't worry. You guys go get some sleep."

Everybody left, leaving the two of them alone.

"Hey Taylor...hey kiddo. What spooked you?" He asked quietly as he crouched in front of her. She shook her head, and rubber her eyes. "Okay, we don't have to talk about it." He held his arms out and pulled her in. "You're okay now."


	5. Chapter 5

Hotch met everybody at the SUV in the morning. He took Rossi's idea and got a couple hours of sleep. Morgan looked at him, confused, keys in hand. "Where's Rossi?"

"He went back last night. Kohl called him about something." Hotch shrugged, answering generically as he stepped up into the SUV.

"About the case?" Morgan stuck the keys in and started the car.

Hotch shook his head as Morgan started the drive back to the station. "Something happened with Taylor last night. I think she has a nightmare and nobody could calm her down."

Morgan nodded. "That kid has been attached to Rossi's hip ever since he took her from the house."

"Wouldn't you?" Hotch shot back.

* * *

The team arrived at the station. Rossi's SUV stood alone outside. Hotch figured, or maybe more like hoped, the man had at least taken care of his own needs as well as the kids, but it didn't seem likely.

The dispersed as they stepped inside. Morgan and Reid went to talk with a few of the officers while JJ and Prentiss headed to the conference room. The goal of today was to see which answers of the girls matched. They needed a place to start. There had to be a similarity about where he was hunting and why he chose these families.

Hotch headed down the hallway to interrogation. The door was wide open. He took a step in, the sight before him warmed his heart.

Rossi sat on the floor, his head back against the wall. Taylor's head rested on his thigh, her body sprawled out on the futon. Both of them were sound asleep.

Hotch smiled slightly. He didn't intend on waking them up and figured that Dave would just join them when he woke up. He passed an officer on the way to the conference room. "Could you make sure they have food when they wake up?"

The officer nodded and headed off.

He sat at the table.

"Where's Rossi?" Morgan inquired as he flipped to the notes he had taken the other day from his interview with Alexis.

"He's sleeping, he'll be here when Taylor wakes up." He assured quietly before clearing his throat. "Right. We need to compare everything we've gathered."

"The first question." Hotch began, looking down at his own notes. They had gotten a sketch artist with Alexis and Juliana in a hope to get a sketch out. It took a couple hours, but last night they finally released one to the press. A copy sat on the table in front of them.

The man wasn't distinctive in many ways. No scars. He didn't wear glasses. Just like they profiled, he was your normal, everyday man.

"What did Alexis remember about last night?" He turned to Morgan and Reid, the pair sitting beside each other.

"Not much. She said she was asleep. A man woke her up in the middle of the night. He never threatened her, just calmly asked for her to get out of bed and be quiet so he could tie her to the chair." Reid shook his head. "She couldn't remember much. We wanted to do a cognitive interview, but her aunt said no."

Hotch nodded thoughtfully. He sighed. "Juliana's grandmother was the same. We weren't able to get much out of her either."

As they ran through the questions, they found that everything was almost perfectly matching up.

"Did they remember anything about the unsub?" Hotch continued on.

Morgan nodded. "She said that he was quiet. He acted like a dad more than anything. It was dark so it was hard for them to see his face, but he didn't care if they saw him."

Hotch agreed. "He didn't wear a mask."

Reid butted in. "Alexis said that he spoke to her a lot, almost as if he were trying to sooth her or help her. Before he killed her parents, he told her not to worry and that she would be safe now. So in his delusions, he thinks the parents hurt the daughter in some way. Comparing this to the next question," he didn't even bother to breath. "The last thing she did with her family was go to the grocery store. Now as a child you love going to the grocery store because of the possibilities of picking out snacks and desserts, but usually most parents just turn them down. What if there was an outburst of some sort? Her parents might've seemed more upset then they actually were. The unsub could've seen this and interpreted it like they were yelling at their child."

Prentiss nodded. "I think Reid's onto something. Because the last thing that Juliana did with her parents was go to the grocery store. Three days is a decent break between shopping, especially if it's only for one person."

Hotch nodded. "We'll get agents out at the grocery stores within the area. JJ and Reid, take the sketch and show it around. See if anybody's seen something."

Everybody stood up, gathering their things. Morgan's phone went off. He pulled it out and answered. "Hey baby girl, what do you have for me?"

"Well my Chocolate Thunder, let me tell you-"

Her voice cut out for a second as Morgan turned his phone on speaker and set it on the table.

"I'd like to do to you."

He chuckled and shook his head. "What'd you find?"

"Soooo I was cross referencing a lot of the things that you guys asked for, and so far I've narrowed it down to about seven men in and around the area. I've already sent them to you, let me know if I can do anything else."

"Actually mama, can you check and see if any of them went to a grocery store every three day?"

"Of course! I'll call you when I have it!"

"You're the best." Morgan ended the call and slipped his phone back in his pocket.

Hotch nodded. "Reid, Prentiss will take you're place with JJ, I need you here helping look through some of these names."

Reid nodded and pulled out his phone. He pulled up the list and got down to business, marking where they lived on the map, as well as getting officers to print pictures to compare.

JJ and Prentiss headed into the bullpen. There were going to be way too many grocery stores to put surveillance out of all of them, so they needed help from the locals to decide the popular ones and which were more likely over the others.

Hotch looked to Morgan. "Can you see if Rossi's awake? Tell him to meet me outside."

Morgan nodded and stepped out of the conference room. He headed down the hall. He smiled at the sight of Taylor eating her breakfast beside Rossi. The man had no food in front of him, so Morgan assumed he ate it, but it was Dave's secret that he gave it to the kid. "Hotch's looking for you outside."

Rossi looked up and nodded. He mumbled a quick goodbye to Taylor. She wrapped her arms around him, asking him to stay. He promised he would be back later. She finally let go of him. Dave stood up and stepped around Morgan. He headed outside, his friend leaning against the SUV.

"What's up?" Rossi asked as he approached, crossing his arms over his chest. He shivered as soon as he stepped out into the crisp air.

"I called social services for Taylor." Hotch said easily.

"What? Why?" Rossi's brow furrowed in confusion. He had talked with Hotch about it earlier that he would take care of it. He made the agreement because it was different when he was actually the one she was attached to verses Hotch who was a bystander.

"Dave, you know why. She needs care twenty-four seven right now. I know that you want to help her, but believe me, this will be major help for her."

Rossi shook his head. "You're only doing this because it's protocol. You said you would let me take care of it, Aaron."

"I know. Dave believe me, I know. You're great with her, but she needs to be with the professionals." Hotch crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't add the part of how he wanted Dave back on the case. "You know it's better for her this way."

Rossi shuffled his feet, his eyes falling to his shoes. "Yeah, I know." Of course he knew. He hated to say that as soon as the child first grabbed on to him, he grew attached. His love for the child continued to grow as they spent time together, especially after Garcia released the news that she had nobody. But this was just the job.

Hotch could read him like a book. It wasn't just the fact that he was a profiler, but more because of their friendship.

Rossi looked at him and shrugged. "Guess it's pretty obvious then." He commented, seeing the look on Hotch's face.

Aaron shook his head. "Not entirely. Everybody else just thinks you're doing a good thing." He nudged Rossi's shoulder. "Honestly have you ever thought about kids?"

Rossi shrugged. "Probably before when I was younger. This job also doesn't leave much time."

Hotch nodded in understanding. Everyday he was surprised that he was making it by with Jack in his care. He wasn't able to see his son all the time, but Jack knew that his dad was out saving the world. He placed a reassuring hand on Dave's shoulder. "Think about it." He squeezed his shoulder before heading back inside, leaving him with his thoughts.

Garcia called Morgan again. "Yeah Mama? Tell me you've got something good."

"Oh baby do I. Okay so I've narrowed it down to two men in their late twenties. First is Donald McGregor. He lost his daughter in a car accident. He shops frequently, every two to three days. Second is Richard Slawson. His daughter was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago, she recently passed away. He shops around every four days."

Morgan nodded. "Same stores or different? You have their addresses?"

"Different, and I hate that you doubt me. Of course I've already sent them over."

He hung up and sent the addresses to Prentiss and JJ, along with the names and faces.

Hotch stepped back into the conference room, alone. "I've got addresses of two men. Donald McGregor works at a real-estate office not too far down the road, and Richard Slawson used to work at a law firm, but once his daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, he's moved to a home office." Morgan filled him in.

Hotch nodded. "Rossi and I will take McGregor, you and Reid head to Slawson's house."

Morgan nodded. "Kid, let's go!" Reid followed him as they headed out the door. They passed Rossi on their way out, the older man meeting Hotch in the bullpen.

Hotch grabbed the keys and was about to leave when a woman dressed in a black pantsuit stood in their way. "Hi." She said, holding out her hand. "I'm Shannon Stovall. I'm with social services."


	6. Chapter 6

Rossi bit his lip, looking down at the small, yet formal woman in front of him. He figured that he would have at least had the chance to say something to the kid before they took her away.

Hotch took her hand and nodded. "Aaron Hotchner, come with me, I'll show you where she is." He motioned for her to follow. Dave did as well.

He walked into the room first, causing Taylor's whole face to brighten up. Then she saw the woman come in behind him and she looked down at her shoes.

Hotch pulled Stovall back and out of the room, figuring that it would be best to leave the two alone for a moment.

Dave kneeled in front of Taylor. "Hey kiddo." He murmured, lifting up her chin so she would look at him. She still avoided his eyes. "Come on now, don't be like that." He pushed the hair from her eyes. She finally met his eyes. He could tell from the way that she looked at him that she knew what was going on. From what he had learned from the past day, she was incredibly bright for her age.

He sighed quietly. "You know that they are going to take great care of you." She didn't respond and instead only sniffled. "T..." He breathed. He hated seeing her cry. She had probably shed more tears in the past couple days than in her entire life. He opened his arms and she crawled in. She wrapped her arms as best as she could around his torso. "I'm sorry kiddo, I am. I've done all I can." He closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him. "Okay. It'll be okay."

She slowly pulled away and dried her eyes. "Dave...why do I have to go?"

"Because kiddo, you need to be around people who can look after you."

She bit her lip and shook her head, not understanding when she was perfectly content where she was.

He wiped away her tears with his thumb. "I promise everything will be okay."

"But you don't know that." She looked away from him.

He sighed. "You're right. I don't, but I know that you will be treated so good kiddo, better than you are here." He thought for a second and pulled his wallet from his pocket. He grabbed a business card and handed it to her. "I want you to call me whenever you get all situated okay?" She nodded.

He slowly stood up and offered his hand to her. After contemplating it for a couple seconds, she took it and allowed him to lead her outside.

They stepped out in the hallway where Hotch and Shannon stood. Again he kneeled down and pulled her into a hug. "Be good kiddo, okay?"

She nodded and pulled away from him. "Will...will you come visit me?"

"Every chance I get."

"You promise?"

Dave chuckled quietly and nodded. "Of course kiddo."

She held up her pinkie to make sure. He rolled his eyes in amusement and wrapped his pinkie with hers. "Count on it." He said quietly. She smiled at him, a small, sad smile as she wrapped her arms around him once more.

Shannon lightly touched Taylor's shoulder. "Come on sweetie, let's get going."

Taylor reluctantly pulled away from Dave. He ruffled her hair one last time before she took Shannon's hand and began to follow her out.

Dave stood up and sighed heavily. Hotch put his hand on his shoulder. "She'll be okay." He said reassuringly.

"I know." He shook his head. "I'm fine, really. Let's get going."

Hotch didn't look convinced, but nodded. He pulled the keys from his pocket and followed Dave outside.

* * *

The whole way to McGregor's house, Rossi didn't speak much. He wasn't mad at Hotch. He knew it had to be done. He was more frustrated with himself for getting so attached, especially over such a short period of time. It was weird. He had never acted like that before.

Hotch continued to glance over at his friend. He knew Rossi would be okay, he always was. Dave just needed time. It was weird seeing how much he cared for the girl. It was cute though, Hotch couldn't deny it. Watching his friend care for the small child. It was obvious that they were stuck to each other, but she needed to be with people who could give her around the clock care.

He pulled up at Donald McGregor's house. It looked as if no one was home, but they still needed to check. The pair stepped out of the SUV and headed to the front.

Hotch knocked on the door. "Donald McGregor, FBI."

They stood there for about a minute before Hotch decided to check in with the other group at Slawson's house.

* * *

Morgan and Reid arrived at Slawson's house. A white truck sat in the driveway. Morgan stepped up to the door and knocked a couple times. "Richard Slawson, FBI."

A dog's bark could be heard behind the door.

This man in his late twenties, looked to be about mid thirties, opened the door. His usually clean shaven face was decorated with stubble. The bags under his eyes voiced more than his body language. He grabbed onto the collar of a small, excited, Australian Cattle dog. "Um...can I help you gentleman in any way?"

"Actually we're here to ask you a couple questions."

"May I ask why?" He didn't look phased, but when you're running on maybe two hours of sleep over a period of a couple days, you didn't question much. His dog tried to fight him and jump up on the strangers.

"We're looking into the homicides in your area. Sir, we just want to ask a couple of questions." They didn't seem phased by the dog. Reid actually crouched down and held his hand out for her to sniff.

Slawson looked at them. He shrugged. "Sure, come on in." He sighed and pulled the door open farther as he headed back to his spot on the living room couch. He let go of his dog once the door was shut. "Sorry if she jumps, she loves people."

Reid and Morgan followed. Their eyes instantly fell on the discarded bottles and cans that littered his tables. Morgan nudged Reid towards the kitchen. The younger man nodded and slipped away. The dog followed.

Morgan sat across from Richard Slawson, the emotionally exhausted man ran a hand through his short, brown hair. "Sir, when did your wife leave you?"

Slawson's face tightened. "It's gonna be these questions, huh?" He sighed and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Sam and I were never married. She promised to have the kid for me, but after that she left. I'm not sure where she went. "She left as soon as she could after Jenny was born."

Morgan felt pity for the man in front of him. He sighed quietly and nodded. "Jenny passed away recently?" He asked quietly, watching him nod.

"I buried her two days ago." Richard nodded. He leaned back against the couch as tears threatened to fall once more.

Morgan nodded sadly. "Where'd you go that night? After her funeral." Once he saw the disgusted, almost betrayed look on Slawson's face, he continued, "Sir, I'm sorry for your loss, I really am. We aren't trying to point fingers, we're just trying to find a killer."

Slawson shook his head. "Where does it look like I was?" His eyes followed the trail of bottles around the room. He wasn't proud of it, but sadly it was how he was coping.

Morgan bit his lip and nodded. "Right. Thank you for your time."

By now Reid has done his searching in the kitchen. It wasn't much different from the living room. He glanced into the trash only to find the same thing. Empty bottles. The dog had followed him. Once he finished his sweep, he leaned down to pet her. He got a quick look at her tags. "Hi Sable." He breathed, scratching her stomach, the dog having rolled over for him.

He stood up and headed into the living room. Morgan was already headed his way.

Morgan shook his head about to head out the door when his phone rang. He stopped to answer it. Sable ran around the counter and came out of the kitchen. She jumped up onto Morgan, her front paws hitting his stomach. He smiled slightly and pet her. He quietly thanked Slawson and followed Reid out the door.

Hotch waited on the other line. "Morgan?" He repeated.

"Yeah, yeah Hotch I'm here. What's up?"

"What'd Slawson say?"

"There's no way he could've done this Hotch." Morgan said as he stepped up into the SUV. He started the car and put it in speaker, handing his phone to Reid.

"Why not?"

"He's had enough booze in the past week to put himself in a coma, honestly with what we saw, I'm surprised he hasn't yet."

Hotch looked to Rossi and nodded. "Got it, Morgan, thanks. McGregor isn't here, we're going to sweep inside before heading back." He hung up and pocketed his phone. He turned to Rossi. "Slawson's off the list." He said as he pulled his gun from his side.

Rossi copied his action. "What'd they find?"

"Alcohol." He said easily, knowing Dave would understand. He took a step back and kicked the door in. He raised his gun, following behind Dave. They split, covering the entire house. It wasn't big. Hotch went through the kitchen and living room. Dave took the hallway. He pushed open a door, McGregor's bed sat in the middle.

The night when he pulled Taylor from the scene flashed back in his mind. He sighed and pushed it away as he stepped into the room. It was clear. He moved onto the next door. The bathroom was also clear. He shoved open the final door. The little girls room was last. He looked around at the dark pink walls. Everything was freshly cleaned and in place. He shook his head and strapped his gun back to his side.

They met in the living room. "He's not here. Given his schedule, he's not die for another in a couple days." Rossi lead the way back to the SUV.

"Right, so where is he then?" Hotch sighed and began the drive back to the station.

On the way there, his phone rang. "Yeah, Garcia?"

"Sooo once Morgan canceled out Slawson, I was looking back into McGregor's past and the car accident and everything. He actually wasn't the one driving."

"His wife left him...so who was driving?" Dave asked, his brow furrowing with curiosity.

"That's the thing. He was out of town for work. He had family friends watch her. They were on there way home from the grocery store when the accident happened. They're a young couple, still in the hospital actually, which as of two minutes ago, Donald McGregor signed in to see."

"Thanks Garcia." Hotch glanced at Rossi. He ended the call. "Call some backup. We've got a killer to catch."


	7. Chapter 7

Prentiss and JJ had teamed up at the grocery store. They had brought the sketch at first, but once Garcia told them that McGregor was the one who shopped at the store, they started showing people the picture on their phones.

Everybody recognized him. Or at least most people. Many of the cashiers had seen him around, recently too. He bought the same things every time. His diet never changed. He also always bought a tiny box of goldfish that were usually given to a child, but no child ever showed up with him.

They walked side by side as they headed towards the SUV. Prentiss pulled her phone from her pocket as it started ringing. "Prentiss."

"Hey, Emily, I'm sending you an address right now. We found McGregor. He signed in as a visitor at the hospital." Rossi explained on the other line.

"What? Why would he be there?" She exchanged a confused look with JJ and got into the car.

"The crash that killed his daughter, he wasn't involved at all. A young couple was driving. They lived and are in the hospital right now. He's been going everyday since the accident."

Her face fell. She nodded. "Right. We'll be there as soon as possible." She hung up and pulled up the directions.

"What's going on?" JJ asked as she pulled out onto the road.

"The unsub's at the hospital, take a right." Prentiss said as she began to fill her friend in, as well as give directions.

Morgan and Reid were the first group there. They stepped out of their SUV and stood around it, waiting for the rest of their team.

Morgan looked up at the tall building. Possible plans of attack scrolled through his head. The main problem was was that they had no idea where or what floor he would he on.

Rossi and Hotch pulled up next. They jumped out, a couple police cars pulling up as well. They had already called ahead to make sure the guards inside made sure McGregor didn't leave.

The SWAT team pulled up, hustling out of their van and onto the scene, ready for action.

Finally when the girls showed up, they started to figure out what their plan of action would be.

"We'll need you," Hotch looked at Kohl, and a couple members of the SWAT team, "on all of the floors, at the elevators and stairwells. If he runs you'll have him. Rossi and I will talk to him, but the rest of you," again he glanced at his team. "Will be outside incase he tries to pull anything."

He nodded, looking to everybody, seeing if anyone objected. "Right, let's go."

Hotch lead the team inside. The doctor's knew they were coming and had cleared most of the floors, except the E.R. and the O.R.'s.

The Chief of Surgery stood in the middle of the floor. She was a middle aged woman with dark brown, almost black hair. She held out her hand. "Lisa Cuddy."

Hotch shook her hand. "Special Agent Aaron Hotchner." He said with practiced ease. "These are Agents Prentiss, Jareau, Rossi, Reid, and Morgan. What floor is Donald McGregor on?"

"The third, but wait, I need to know what the plan is!" She waved her hands, wanting more information, but Hotch turned her down. "Reid, fill her in, Dave you're with me. Let's go."

Everybody filed into the building. The floor started to swarm with cops and federal agents. They split up equally and headed up the stairs. Several officers stayed behind at each floor to guard the stairs and elevators.

Finally only the team, Reid having caught up on the second floor, he always was know for how fast he talked, and about six officers were left. They reached their destination.

Hotch and Rossi lead the team around the floor, the cops having stayed back to guard the stairs Incase McGregor decided to run.

Slowly the others broke off, leaving only Hotch and Rossi as the approached the room. The glass doors allowed the scene inside to be played like a movie.

Donald McGregor sat in a chair in front of the beds and perfectly in the middle. He was hunched over, his arms resting heavily on his legs. He wasn't built, but he wasn't exactly scrawny either.

His blonde hair could be seen peeking out from the collar of his jacket. His shoulders shook slightly, almost as if he had been crying.

When the word got around of the unsub in their hospital, the doctor's acted quickly and quietly. Nobody bothered him. The floor was cleared of all the patients able to transport. Guards were inside the rooms of those that couldn't.

Everything was under lockdown.

Hotch exchanged a small nod with Rossi and the two stepped forward. Dave slowly slid open the door. Hotch entered first, his gun raised.

As soon as the door had shifted, McGregor was up and on his feet. He stood over the man, his knife in hand.

"Drop the knife Donald." Hotch spoke evenly. Rossi had entered after him, but his gun remained on his side. They had profiled this man, and he was spiraling. He knew now that he had nowhere to run.

"Donald." Rossi began. "You should do what he says."

Donald shook his head. He blinked rapidly, a failed effort at trying to rid his eyes of the tears. Instead they began to trail down his face. He swallowed, unable to find his voice.

"Drop the knife." Rossi repeated.

"They..." His voice was barely a whisper. "They killed my daughter." He repeated strongly. "This bastard killed Lindsay."

"No, Donald. No, he didn't." Rossi raised his hands up. "The roads were icy. Another car slid and hit them, you know that." He nodded, his voice quiet, but stern.

Donald's knife shook in his hand. He shook his head. "They...they were supposed to take care of her."

"They took great care of her, Donald. They were your best friend's." Rossi shook his head. He took another small step forward. "Why did you hurt all those people Donald? What did they do?"

With is free hand, McGregor wipes the tears from his face. He shook his head. "They never treated their kids right. They didn't deserve their daughters." His voice shook even more. It was as if he couldn't even believe all of the damage he caused. It was his way of coping with the death of his own daughter.

"The Greys', the Harris', the Wilson's? What could they have possibly done for you to pick them?" Rossi advanced again. "Would Lindsay have wanted this?"

"I...I don't know." The young man swayed on his feet. He tightened his grip on the knife, his knuckles white. "Lindsay...she would've..." the soft tone of the heart monitor drowned out his words.

"You were a good dad, Donald. Lindsay knew that and she loved you."

Donald's knees buckled. He fell to the ground, his knife sliding across the floor. He rested his forehead against the cold floor and cried. He cried for his dead daughter. He cried for the guilt that continued to stir within him. He cried for the things that he had done.

The scene itself was heartbreaking, but the team continued on.

Rossi stepped forward, pulling his cuffs from his belt. He read McGregor his rights and tied his arms behind his back.

Hotch stepped forward and kicked the knife away. He put his gun away. "It's clear, we've got him. Spread the word." He spoke over the coms. He looked at Rossi and nodded. Dave pulled the unsub to his feet and lead the way out the door.

Everyone was bustling around them, helping patients back to their rooms, making sure everyone was okay. Nobody really noticed them as they left the hospital.

Cuddy, however; stopped Hotch on his way out. "Thank you so much, Agent Hotchner. He's been coming here ever since they got here. We had no idea-"

He put his hand up to stop her. "Nobody ever does." He nodded reassuringly and continued out the door, behind swept away by the remaining officers.

"I think it's best if that couple never knew this happened." Rossi pointed out once they were back in the SUV.

Hotch rolled his eyes. "Agreed."

By the time everyone made it back to the station and everything was processed, the team decided to stay in Springfield for the rest of the night. It was already about eleven at night anyway.

They packed their stuff and said their goodbyes before piling into their cars and heading back to the hotel.

Rossi made it up to his room. He was exhausted. He felt like every muscle in his body had withered away to nothing. He didn't even bother changing clothes before he got into bed. He turned into his side and shut his eyes, resting for maybe three minutes before his phone went off. He sighed heavily and sat up. "Rossi." He answered, covering his mouth as he yawned.

"Dave?" A small, familiar voice spoke on the other line.

He brightened instantly. He wasn't expecting a call until tomorrow at the earliest. "Hey kiddo. Yeah it's me. How's it going over there? You all settled?"

She was silent for a beat. "I miss you."


	8. Chapter 8

Rossi and Taylor ended up talking on the phone for most of the night. That was until she fell asleep on the line around three. He wasn't even sure how she had gotten to use the phone that long.

Once she fell asleep, he stayed on for another hour, wanting to make sure she didn't have a nightmare. He waited patiently, leaning his head back. He closed his eyes and just thought. What if...

He awoke the next morning to his alarm. He sighed and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Today was the day they headed home.

He quickly packed all his things, changed, and headed downstairs to meet the rest of the team.

Hotch was the only one down in the lobby. He was writing a few notes, his bag sat at his feet. He looked up as Rossi approached and acknowledged his friend with a nod.

Within five minutes, the rest of the team had come down from their rooms.

They made it onto the jet without a hitch and pretty soon they were up in the air and headed home.

About thirty minutes into the flight, Hotch looked up from his usual paperwork after a case to find Rossi deep in thought. "Dave?" He tried quietly. When his friend didn't respond, he tried again. "Dave?"

"Hm?" Rossi blinked and looked up. "Sorry, what's up?"

"What's on your mind?" He asked, setting down his pen.

Rossi shook his head. "Nothing, really."

Hotch rolled his eyes. It was almost as if he weren't a profiler for a living. "Seriously Dave, what are you thinking about?"

Rossi shook his head. His fingers tapped against the table. "When you and Haley were expecting...did you ever doubt yourself? About how you'd be able to take care of the kid?"

Hotch raised an eyebrow, confused for a split second as to where the question could come from. Before this trip, Rossi never really talked about kids, especially since he didn't plan on marrying again. It dawned on him why his friend would be asking. The corner of his lips turned into a small smile as he nodded. "All the time."

Rossi nodded, looking back down at his hands.

"But it's nothing to be scared of Dave. Everybody's unsure how good they're going to be for their child."

He didn't look convinced.

"This is about Taylor right?" Hotch asked quietly, watching as Rossi nodded. "You two are perfect for each other."

He shrugged, again, he still was nowhere near convinced.

"Dave, the way you took care of her, and the way she was comforted by you. It means something." Hotch continued. "You're going to adopt her, right?"

Rossi shook his head. "I've thought about it, a lot actually. But this job Hotch, it doesn't really allow us much time at home. You know that. You and JJ especially. After everything she's been through, she deserves someone who can be there whenever she needs them."

"You're always just a phone call away, which by the looks of it is how the two of you spent your night."

Dave smiled sheepishly. "I just...I want her to be happy. After everything-"

Hotch cut him off. "Dave, trust me. Go for it."

The plane landed and since they had decided to stay the night in Springfield, they headed right back to the office. Hotch promised that it would only be for a couple hours, but everybody needed to wrap up a bit of paperwork.

Rossi went up to his office. He set his go bag by the door and headed straight for his desk. He pulled his phone from his pocket, as well as a business card from his wallet. He punched in the number.

"Springfield police, how may we assist you?"

"Hi, I'm David Rossi with the FBI, is it possible I can talk to Officer Kohl?"

Kohl was on the phone in no time. "Agent Rossi? Did you guys forget anything?"

"Kohl! No, actually. I was wondering if you could email me Taylor's records." He ran a hand through his hair and leaned forward in his seat. He was nervous about the whole idea. Was he even ready to take in a kid? Sure his mansion got lonely every so often, but with this job...wouldn't she have a better life with an actual family? Somewhere there was a mom, a proper dad who had a regular schedule and made it home by dinner time every night.

"Well...sure. May I ask what you need it for?" He asked. The clicking of keys could be heard in the background.

Rossi tapped his fingers against his desk. "I just want to check in with her."

"Oh, right. Well I just sent it your way, sir. Call me if there's anything else you need."

"Great, thanks so much." He hung up and pulled up the records on his computer. He looked over the file and found the phone number. He typed in every number, but hesitated to actually call. He debated just locking his phone and finishing up what he needed to do. He shook his head and pressed the call button. He brought the phone to his ear.

Stovall answered on the other end. "Shannon Stovall."

"Hey, Shannon, it's David Rossi, I work with Aaron Hotchner for the FBI."

"Oh, right! You're that guy who cared for Taylor. Listen, I really have to thank you for that. Kids don't always get treated the best."

"It wasn't a problem, but listen, that's actually why I'm calling."

"Hm?"

"I was hoping I could actually adopt Taylor."

It seemed that as soon as those words left his mouth, his computer filled with more emails.

"Fill out the forms and send them back ASAP! When can you pick her up?"

Rossi checked his watch. "Around five tonight, I'll have to catch a plane back."

"Sounds perfect! She's going to be so excited. See you then David!" Stovall's voice had gotten higher the more excited she became.

Dave easily filled out the forms and sent them on their way. Honestly nothing even seemed real. He would have a daughter. A smile began to play on his lips. He shook his head and pushed himself up. He left his office and knocked on Hotch's door before stepping in.

Hotch looked up as his friend stepped in. The smile on his face was contagious. "Did you do it?"

"I'm picking her up tonight."

Hotch grinned and pushed himself up. "Congratulations, Dave! That's awesome!" He wrapped his arms around the man in a quick hug.

"Thanks." Rossi returned the hug. He pulled away and shook his head. He glanced at his watch again. "You don't think I'm moving too quick with all of this?"

Hotch shook his head.

He nodded, fiddling with his hands. He took a deep breath and nodded. As soon as he had first called Kohl he was rushed with emotions. He was mostly nervous at the idea, but now he was not only nervous, but excited and happy. "Right. I'm taking an early lunch."

Hotch smiled and nodded. "I'll make sure to let Strauss know. Congratulations Dave."

He slipped past his colleagues without any question. Everybody was invested in finishing up so they could head home.

Dave was back in Springfield by four in the afternoon. An hour earlier than he had expected, but he still had to find the place. He hailed a taxi and gave him the address before he sat in the back. He looked down at his hands. His fingers shook slightly. Would Taylor be happy? He figured she would, but all of the 'what if' questions always ran through his head.

Around five like he promised he walked into the building.

Shannon stood by the front desk. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at the familiar face. She held up a piece of paper and handed it to him once he walked over. "I'm going to need you to sign here and here." She said as she pointed at the lines. "We'll email you the bill and everything."

There wasn't much of a need for a background check on an FBI agent. He had explained over the phone about his crazy schedule, but promised he would figure something out. Nobody doubted it.

"She's waiting for you." Shannon smiled at him and pointed towards a couch in the corner where Taylor has been sitting. She was waiting patiently with her backpack between her legs.

Dave smiled and handed her back the paper. Now, legally, that was his daughter. He took a deep breath, his nerves getting the best of him for a second.

He headed in her direction. As soon as she saw him, her eyes lit up. She jumped off the couch and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him as best as she could. He crouched down and pulled her in for a hug. They were both silent as they held each other. Father and daughter.

Slowly they broke apart. He eyes had begun to water as soon as she wrapped her arms around him. He wiped his eyes and grabbed her backpack. He slipped his hand into hers and started for the door.

"C'mon kiddo, let's go home."

 **(This marks the end of yet another Criminal Minds fic. I hope y'all enjoyed! There is a good chance of one-shots in the future, especially with how close Christmas is lol.**

 **I have had a few ideas for a possible sequel that follows Rossi and Taylor's life as a family, let me know if you'd be interested!**

 **Thanks y'all! As always, I love y'all, and have a happy holiday!)**


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